


The Epidemiology Confession

by merely_indifferent



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: M/M, it's another analytical essay! who doesn't love textual analysis, no this isn't a fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:28:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28415394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merely_indifferent/pseuds/merely_indifferent
Summary: So. The Epidemiology love confession. Was it real? Should it be taken seriously? Does this one moment indicate that Troy and Abed canonically have romantic feelings for each other, therefore permanently affecting the way their relationship should be interpreted throughout the entire show?The answer, of course, is yes. But you already know that. You’re just here to see your gay little thoughts validated in academic terms. And you know what? That’s okay.
Relationships: Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir
Comments: 9
Kudos: 53





	The Epidemiology Confession

## Introduction

“I love you.”

“I know.”

These two phrases are a staple in pop-culture, and this scene from _Empire Strikes Back_ is regarded to be one of the most iconic moments in film history. When said by Han and Leia, these two phrases represent both a confession of love and a promise of reciprocation, even as Han faces his likely demise. According to Star Wars lore, Han’s line was originally “I love you, too,” but recognizing the smuggler’s “[un]emotional” and “[un]conventional” nature, Harrison Ford changed the line to “I know” during a brainstorm session as a more in character, but still equally “recognizable” declaration of love.1 Yet, when said by Troy and Abed in Epidemiology, these two phrases are disregarded as a throw-away homage - a shout out that NBC’s _Community_ couldn’t help but add to its extensive list of movie references - instead of a canonical declaration of love. In a fantastic display of perceptual blindness to the already heaping pile of queer code surrounding Troy and Abed, heteronormative viewers _still_ manage to discredit Troy and Abed’s textual love confession as nothing more than an insignificant Star Wars reference. However, by analyzing each half of the reference (“I love you” by Troy and “I know” by Abed), and by comparing Abed’s two Han/Leia references in the show, it becomes clear that the exchange is truly a two-way declaration of love, both despite _and_ because of the Star Wars reference at play. 

## I. Troy’s Confession

Part of _Community’s_ allure is it’s deviation from standard genre restrictions. Most sitcoms remain within the realm of their genre’s reality, but the meta-homage of _Community_ allows it to pull from any genre in order to construct the narrative. The show first dips its toes into another genre with Contemporary American Poultry’s mafia homage, and later dives head first into genre-bending episodes such as Modern Warfare, Basic Rocket Science, and Regional Holiday Music. These concept episodes use silly, low-stakes scenarios to parody the serious, high-stakes plots of famous films, but characters almost never face such dire circumstances faced by action heroes and horror victims. While Modern Warfare replicates action tropes, the worst consequence the characters face is not receiving priority registration. While Regional Holiday Music replicates horror tropes _,_ Britta herself admits that “the stakes aren’t actually that high.” Season two’s zombie homage, Epidemiology, is the one concept episode that deviates from the low-stakes parody formula. While Epidemiology replicates zombie movies, this time the stakes are equally as high as the parodied genre.

Greendale’s Halloween party starts to turn sour when Pierce comes down with a mysterious illness less than two minutes into the episode. As more party-goers develop symptoms of food poisoning, Pierce bites Star Burns’ arm, transferring the illness to him, and the episode transforms into a zombie homage. But when the study group retreats into the study room to escape the horde of flesh-hungry students, Rich reminds the group (and the audience) that the “zombies” aren’t zombies at all - they are humans suffering from a “rabies-related pathogen affecting the prefrontal cortex of the brain.” Furthermore, Rich estimates that within three hours the affected students will begin suffering brain damage from the fever, and within six, they’ll die. Unlike the danger of “death” in the paintball episodes, which only results in elimination from the game, the illness in Epidemiology presents a legitimate threat of death to the characters. With the library in quarantine for six hours, every affected student in the library will actually die if the study group does not lower the temperature of the building and break the fever. The stakes on _Community_ have never been higher.

One by one, the members of the study group catch the pathogen until just Jeff, Abed, and Troy are left in the library basement. Abed attempts to reconcile an argument with Troy from earlier in the episode, and Troy asks why waste time discussing the argument, once again reminding the audience that they "might die down [there]." Abed, also recognizing the stakes, reasons that the threat of death is "all the more reason" to resolve the argument. Abed knows that he and Troy may not survive, and Abed wants to ensure that if the worst case scenario occurs, he and Troy end as friends. While the situation is framed comedically, Troy and Abed are very much aware of the possible tragedy if they fail to lower the thermostat.

Troy's "I love you" then arrives at a pivotal moment. When Troy looks down at Abed after agreeing to leave him behind, Troy knows it may be the last time he sees Abed with human eyes. He has mere seconds before the infected students reach Abed. Anything he says or does in those seconds may be memorialized as his last moment with Abed - his last chance to leave nothing unsaid. When the situation is that dire, there is no logical reason why Troy would use his precious last words with Abed to joke or lie. In every other concept episode, the stakes are low and exaggerated for humor, but in Epidemiology, the stakes are genuinely high. If the zombies are real, and the threat of death is real, Troy's love confession can only be real as well. 

Furthermore, while Troy's confession does set the stage for Abed to complete the two-part Star Wars reference, Troy's confession is a stand alone statement. The events leading towards Troy’s confession are a general zombie movie homage, so there is no specific Star Wars context to lend itself towards a Star Wars reference. If Abed’s “I know” were removed from the scene, Troy’s “I love you” would have no connection to any one movie reference. Therefore, in considering Troy’s half of the reference, it’s more accurate that his “I love you” is not a reference at all. When Troy says those three words, they are genuine, romantic, and uniquely his.

## II. Abed’s Confirmation

Unlike Troy’s declaration of love, which occurs outside of any movie homage, Abed’s response is genuinely a Star Wars reference. It’s no secret that Abed filters his reality through TV shows and movies. While he “can tell life from TV” just fine, Abed uses the “logic” and “rules” of media to make sense of his world (2x01). To name just a few of Abed’s references throughout the show, he explains the study group’s desire to get him a girlfriend as a _Can’t Buy Me Love_ reference, Jeff describes Annie as _Indiana Jones_ ’ Ark of the Covenant to explain to Abed her power to elicit pity, and Abed uses Hawkeye from _M*A*S*H_ to convey his confidence in Jeff’s leadership (1x17, 1x24, 1x13). In addition to interpretive references, Abed often references media purely for entertainment, such as his Terminator reference of “come with me if you don’t want paint on your clothes” after saving Jeff in paintball (1x23).

But TV and movies are much more than just a crutch for making sense of Abed’s “day-to-day world” (1x21). To Abed, media is a necessary tool for conveying powerful emotion. As a neurodivergent character who struggles to recognize and communicate emotions through neurotypical means, Abed manages to “connect with people through movies” instead, using tropes and references to explain the wild emotionality he cannot put into words (1x24). For example, when Troy misunderstands Abed’s reasons for not wanting to live together and says “I thought we were friends,” Abed answers:

We are. Best friends. That's why we shouldn't be roommates. We'll end up fighting and putting a masking-tape line down the middle of our room...Troy, you should live with someone who you like, but whose friendship wouldn't be altered because of constant irritation - that's Pierce. If you and I move in, we jump the shark. That'll end it (1x25).

Here, Abed invokes the common trope in sitcoms, named “This Is My Side” by TV Tropes, where two cohabiting characters get into an argument, resulting in a split living space and hurt feelings. Abed uses this trope to explain how much he cares for Troy, and that he doesn’t want to jeopardize their friendship by moving in together. Abed values Troy’s friendship and is insecure about losing him, and he can best explain these emotions through a TV reference. Far from trivializing his emotions, Abed’s reference actually amplifies his emotions and makes them more tangible.

In another example, Abed executes a high-concept homage to _My Dinner With Andre_ in order to reach out to Jeff. Abed organizes an elegant dinner and tries to initiate a “real conversation,” hoping the dinner will appeal to Jeff’s taste. When Jeff discovers the reference behind the dinner, he becomes angry, saying “While I was wasting time trying to make you happy, you were making yourself happy all over everyone else by doing yet another stupid movie spoof.” But by believing the dinner was merely in the name of a fun homage, Jeff critically underestimates the emotional weight of Abed’s media references. Abed explains:

It wasn't about making me happy. I chose _My Dinner with Andre_ because it’s about a guy who has an unexpectedly enjoyable evening with a weird friend he's been avoiding lately. You and I hung out more last year. It makes sense. Everyone else is growing and changing all the time. That's not my jam. I'm more a fast-blinking, stoic, removed, uncomfortably self-aware type. Like Data or Johnny 5 or Mork or HAL or K.I.T.T. Or K9 or Woodstock and/or Snoopy. Spock goes without saying (2x19).

Because Abed struggles to communicate emotions via words, he instead communicates his fears that Jeff has been avoiding him through a high-concept movie homage and eight other consecutive media references. His methods may be unconventional, but they’re consistent, and easy enough to understand once recognized. Abed’s homage to _My Dinner with Andre_ is much more than an homage - it’s an admission of insecurity and an attempt at reconnecting, and Jeff finally understands these underlying emotions when he recognizes media as Abed’s love language, instead of just a silly gimmick. The audience is then guided towards the same general conclusion: Abed’s references can carry heavy emotional significance, and the context of Abed’s references should always be considered in order to best understand when Abed is communicating an emotion he cannot share any other way. 

To avoid committing Jeff’s mistake in underestimating the value of the dinner, Abed’s “I know” should not be shelved as a meaningless Star Wars reference. Instead, his response must be considered within context and analyzed for a greater significance. Like Troy, Abed understands that the brief calm before the infected students reach him may be his last human moment. Abed adores Troy (he volunteered his own life in exchange for Troy’s escape) and he would not waste his last words to his best friend on a meaningless movie reference, especially since Troy uses his last words with Abed to confess his feelings in such a significant way. Therefore, Abed’s “I know” must have meaning beyond a parodied version of iconic last words for Abed’s own entertainment.

Just as the significance of Abed and Jeff’s dinner comes from the significance of the referenced movie itself, the significance of Abed’s “I know” can be found in the significance of the referenced scene from _The_ _Empire Strikes Back._ After Lando betrays Han, Darth Vader commands that Han be frozen in carbonite. The freezing process is largely untested, and Han knows he may not survive, so he asks Chewbaca to “take care” of Leia after he is gone. Until this scene, Han and Leia have been a “will they, won’t they” couple, but now, Han’s life is at stake, and this is both Leia’s and Han’s chance to leave nothing unsaid. Han leans in for a kiss and Leia kisses back. Then, Leia confesses, “I love you,” and Han responds with “I know.” It’s obvious that Leia’s “I love you” is nothing less than romantic, which further confirms that Troy’s “I love you” is also meant to be romantic. Han’s “I know” is a bit more ambiguous. However, Han is not naturally expressive of his deeper emotions, and he has never been one to say his feelings outright - a very obvious parallel to Abed. And because Han later returns Leia’s “I love you,” his “I know” must carry the same genuine, albeit veiled, sentiment. Han’s “I know” is not a cheeky evasion of Leia’s genuine confession. On the contrary, Han’s “I know” is a confirmation that he knew Leia’s feelings, and a promise of reciprocation if he manages to survive and return to Leia’s side.2

Abed, whose special interest and area of expertise is film and TV, understands this significance better than anyone. And Abed, who communicates his deepest emotions via media, would not make this specific reference if he did not intend to communicate to Troy the same romantic reciprocation that Han felt for Leia. But most importantly, Abed understands that _Troy_ understands. Troy is a respectable runner-up to Abed’s vast knowledge of media, and Troy is the only member of the study group who truly understands Abed’s media-based communication. By responding to Troy’s “I love you” with the iconic “I know,” Abed ensures that with two words, Troy understands exactly how he feels. Abed’s reference isn’t a negation of Troy’s confession - it’s an amplifier. So while Troy’s confession is genuine _despite_ Abed’s Star Wars reference, Abed’s reciprocation is genuine _because_ of his Star Wars reference. 

## III. The Two Leias: Cross-Referencing References

In accordance with Han and Leia’s moment in _Empire Strikes Back,_ the Epidemiology confession is, without a doubt, a genuine two-way declaration of love. But it’s worth considering that Abed has executed not one, but two Han/Leia homages over the course of the show: the first with Troy and the second with Annie. When Greendale’s formerly Western paintball game adopts a Star Wars theme in For a Few Paintballs More, Abed plays Han Solo and casts Annie as his Leia. At the end of the paintball game, Abed pulls Annie into a kiss, just as Han kisses Leia before he is frozen in carbonite. The presence of both references thus provides an interesting controlled experiment. Abed’s two Han/Leia homages reference the same scene in different contexts, so they are a perfect example of how context is the most important factor in determining the meaning of Abed’s references. Abed makes two kinds of references: one for communication, and one for entertainment. Therefore, by comparing the stakes, scope, and surroundings of each Han/Leia homage, it becomes clear that Abed’s reference with Annie is purely for entertainment, further proving how Abed’s reference with Troy is for genuine communication.

As previously stated, the high stakes of Epidemiology set this episode apart from every other concept episode on _Community_. These high stakes prove that Troy and Abed’s confession should not be trivialized, since Troy and Abed would not waste their last moment together on a meaningless reference. In comparison, the stakes of For a Few Paintballs More are relatively low. While Greendale is in danger of destruction if the students don’t win the $100,000 cash prize and repair their school, these stakes seem small next to the literal life and death situation of Epidemiology. Although Annie says “looks like this is it” and Abed indicates that Han will be “gone” once paintball ends, their imminent “deaths” are nothing more than a dramatized elimination from the game. In Epidemiology, Troy and Abed may legitimately die, indicating that their reference together is much more emotionally charged than the one between Abed and Annie. 

The scope of each reference is also drastically different, further demonstrating how important context is for interpreting Abed’s references. As for Annie and Abed, the context of their Han/Leia reference is saturated with Star Wars. The entirety of For a Few Paintballs More is a Star Wars reference, not just the scene where they kiss. Abed declares that the show has moved into a “Star Wars motif” at the start of the episode, and then calls “dibs on the Star Wars role before Jeff can slouch into it by default.” Then, Abed casts Annie into Leia’s role by interacting with her as Han does with Leia, i.e. flirting and calling her “your worship.” So when Abed and Annie kiss at the end of the episode, it’s an expected scene that fits within the rest of the Star Wars narrative. It’s also important to note that Abed’s position as Han is a self-proclaimed “role,” and one that Jeff could have easily occupied instead. In For a Few Paintballs more, Abed is simply playing a character, and he knows that kissing Annie at the end of the episode is the most in-character action, since Han kisses Leia before being frozen in carbonite. Furthermore, once Abed and Annie are eliminated from the game, Abed’s Han Solo demeanor dissipates immediately into Abed’s signature “cool cool cool,” since the Han character only exists within the game. With the game over for Abed, he has no need or context in which to continue playing Han Solo, so the character disappears. This small scope indicates that in For a Few Paintballs more, Abed executes the Han/Leia reference purely for entertainment within a grander Star Wars homage, without any genuine underlying emotion. On the other hand, Abed’s reference with Troy occurs without any other surrounding Star Wars reference, so it is unexpected and not merely a scene to fit into a greater Star Wars narrative. And because the stakes are so high, neither Troy nor Abed are playing a character for entertainment, altogether indicating that Abed’s reference with Troy is meant to communicate deeper emotion. 

Lastly, the greater surrounding character and narrative arcs for Annie, Abed, and Troy provide the most compelling evidence for the sincerity of Troy and Abed’s love confession. As early as episode four, Annie and Abed refer to each other as “good friends,” and Annie understands Abed enough to know Abed hates the fourth installment of _Indiana Jones._ They develop their own handshake, they live together in Apartment 303, and Annie is the only person besides Troy who gets to experience the Dreamatorium with Abed. Needless to say, Annie is one of Abed’s closest friends, second only to Troy. Besides their Han/Leia roles, Abed and Annie only traverse past platonic once more in Physical Education, when Abed plays Don Draper from _Mad Men._ But in each instance, Abed is playing a character, not himself. In addition, both characters are smooth, somewhat arrogant idealizations of masculinity, which indicates that Annie is not attracted to Abed himself (this is also a sign of compulsory heterosexuality, which indicates that Annie is not actually attracted to men at all). There are no real romantic moments between Annie and Abed at any point in the show, so declaring their Han/Leia reference as romantic isn’t logical. If Annie and Abed were genuinely attracted to each other, that attraction could have easily continued once the paintball game ended. But since the attraction between Annie’s Leia and Abed’s Han has no continuation in reality, this Han/Leia reference should be interpreted as nothing more than two friends playing fictional characters.

Troy and Abed’s _Empire Strikes Back_ moment, however, is just a pit stop in over four seasons of romantic coding. Troy and Abed become true friends through their “Somewhere Out There” duet, and the two are inseparable from that point on (1x10). They canonically hold hands so often that it’s second nature, Troy calls Abed his “other half,” and Jeff, Shirley, and Annie each comment on the closeness of their relationship, all before the season one finale (1x15, 1x23). Troy is also a textbook example of queer coding and compulsory heterosexuality, since his season one character arc transforms him from a hypermasculine, insecure jock to a more emotionally secure and genuine friend. Troy even undergoes a pretty explicit queer metaphor in Interpretive Dance, when he keeps his dancing a secret after Britta’s dancing is ridiculed, in fear of appearing “vulnerable and “feminine,” both stereotypes of male homosexuality. Troy even commits a Freudian slip by referring to Britta’s revelation as being “out” (1x14). Even without analysis of later seasons, the build up to Epidemiology alone establishes the romantic undertones of Troy and Abed’s relationship. Therefore, far from Annie and Abed’s sudden character-based flings, Troy and Abed’s mutual declaration of love is heavily grounded in the rest of the show by developing the queer code that already exists. Except, the Epidemiology love confession is more than just queer code - it is a textual, blatant admission of romantic love, and one that should be taken seriously within the greater story of Troy and Abed.

## Conclusion

The Epidemiology confession is clearly a declaration of romantic love, bringing all of Troy and Abed’s extensive queer subtext into simple text. It’s a logical, satisfying focal point that proves the legitimacy of a queer interpretation, and consequently should alter the interpretation of their relationship throughout the entire show. 

Unfortunately, the love confession just so conveniently occurs in an episode that every character forgets. By the end of the episode, government agents wipe the minds of every party-goer, meaning that Troy and Abed have no memory of admitting their romantic feelings for each other. So despite the emotional upheaval in the basement, Troy and Abed return to normal life as friends, and their love confession is lost by the narrative. It’s Schrӧdinger's canon - yes, this scene proves that Troy and Abed love each other romantically, but the scene is erased from the narrative to the point where it might as well have never existed at all. 3

Fortunately, the scene _does_ exist, even if the characters, writers, and heteronormative fanbase all forget. And while Troy and Abed don’t remember their confession, that sentiment must still exist. Even if the show never addresses it again, the Epidemiology confession is an enduring scene, quietly shedding queer light onto Troy and Abed’s interactions for the rest of the show. Epidemiology shows that Troy and Abed are canonically in love with each other, and no amount of narrative ignorance can take that away.

1\. “Origin of Han Solo Most Iconic Line.” _YouTube_ , uploaded by NerdOut, 5 July 2017, [link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ1zkb3Lyiw&feature=emb_title)

2\. While Ford has said that the line was originally “I love you, too,” the original script has Han’s line as “Just remember that, ‘cause I’ll be back.” I believe the most accurate interpretation of Han’s final “I know” is a combination of both sentiments: “Remember that you love me, because I love you too, and that will matter if I ever come back.” (Source: Cronin, Brian. "The Truth Behind Han Solo's Famous 'I know' Line." _CBR,_ 30 June 2016, [link)](https://www.cbr.com/movie-legends-revealed-the-truth-behind-han-solos-famous-i-know-line/)

3\. Actually, the love confession wasn’t supposed to exist, period. It originated organically while blocking the scene. According to Donald Glover (Troy Barnes), “we were running through it, and it just felt so right to say that. It didn’t feel like pushed or forced, it was just like ‘I love you.’” (Source: Community Commentary Episode 2x06, [link](https://mega.nz/folder/XQUDCIwI#dNdVOFuLZQ5iX_J1KTT9UA/folder/aJk1mK5Y))

**Author's Note:**

> so I think straight people (tm) should be legally required to read this before they comment on that scene. except for donald glover bb, u get a free pass for inventing the scene in the first place.
> 
> anyways, thank you so much for reading!


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